The 2020 WISE Award winners during the virtual event yesterday.
Doha: The 2020 WISE Award Winners were celebrated for their innovative solutions to education challenges in a virtual event held yesterday in the presence of H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF).
Six projects ‘Barefoot College’, ‘Education for Sharing’, ‘Justice Defenders’, ‘Hupan Modou (HPMD) Foundation’, ‘Dignitas’ and ‘Think Equal’ have been selected as 2020 WISE Awards winners for addressing global educational challenges across the world.
The event ‘Building the Future of Education: Conversations with Resilient Innovators’ was held under the theme ‘Building the Future of Education’ reflecting on the idea of thinking about education innovation proactively and not reactively.
2020 WISE Award winners were celebrated with a virtual handing over of the awards and discussions on efforts undertaken by educational innovators to ensure they provide access to quality education.
The WISE Awards, created by the World Innovation Summit for Education, a QF initiative aims to highlight projects that have demonstrated impact in their communities and have the potential to set international standards and best practices worldwide.
“We extend our special welcome to H H Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of QF, joining us to celebrate the 2020 WISE Awards. It is thanks to her vision and leadership that we are here today,” CEO of WISE, Stavros N. Yiannouka said.
He emphasised the need of innovative solutions to education challenges is more important than before, due to the present COVID-19 situation.
“This year’s WISE Awards winners give solutions to present crisis. Beneficiaries of the winning projects are not only children, but also women and teachers. These projects give us hope to confront the crisis and reach new horizons in education,” said Assistant Director General of Unesco, Stefania Giannini in her keynote speech.
“Looking at the Awardees, I am reminded that many talented people and committed organisations are breathing new life to education and bringing us closer to the realisation of Sustainable Development Goal 4,” she added.
During the session ‘Fireside chats with the 2020 WISE Awards,’ the awardees shared their views on how they are innovating to increase learning outcomes and develop skills and mindsets that prepare learners for a changing world.
“Play is a very powerful vehicle to connect with joy,” said Founder and President of Education for Sharing, Dina Buchbinder, and her programme makes learning a joyful experience for children.
Alexander McLean of Justice Defenders sharing about this year’s WISE Awards winning initiative Justice Defenders said, “Using technology we’re working at greater scale than ever before and therefore having more impact.”
Founder and CEO of Future Education, Leslee Udwin, said: “The most important subject in the world — social and emotional learning—which nurtures children to be inclusive, loving, kind, empathetic and responsible global citizens is missing from our education systems.”
Audrey Giacomini, Manager, Innovation for Quality and Access at WISE moderated the virtual event. During the musical interlude of the event Music composer Dana Al Fardan shared a piece of her new musical about the poet Rumi, which addresses the topic of resilience. It was presented by Nadim Naaman, actor and co-author.
The virtual event also featured ‘An intergenerational conversation about the Future of Work’ a discussion between Patrick Gyimah Awuah Jr, WISE Prize Laureate and Juan David Aristizabal, WISE Emerging Leaders Fellow on the role of innovation in making a resilient learner.
Since the creation of the WISE Awards programme in 2009, WISE has received over 4,500 applications from more than 150 countries.
